Air-compressor.



No. 631,994. Patented Aug. 29, I899. P. H. MONTAGUE.

AIR COMPRESSOR.

lApplication filed May 29, 1899.

(No Model.)

ag. Z.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK H. MONTAGUE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE TOLEVERETT BELL, OF SAME PLACE.

AIR-COMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,994, dated. August29, 1899.

Anplication filed May 29, 1899. Serial No. 718,760. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PATRICK HENRY MON- T'AGUE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Air-Compressors,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse [0 the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part-of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a sectionalview of -my improved air-compressor in position. Fig. 2 is a top planview of the reservoir somewhat reduced in scale; and Fig. 3 is a bottomplan View of said reservoir, also reduced in scale.

Thisinvention relates to a new and useful improvement inair-compressors, the object being to construct a device of the characterdescribed which will compress air by the action of a rising column ofwater. The water for operating the compressor may either rise or fall inthe cylinder naturally, as by tidal action, or mechanical means maybeprovided,

as will hereinafter be described.

With these objects in View the invention consists in an air-compressorcomprising a cylinder divided into one or more compart- 0 ments, into orfrom which lead valve-pipes, whereby when a columnof water arises in oneof said compartments the air above said column is forced beyond anoutwardly-opening valve into a reservoir, in which the same may 3 5 becarried to any suitable point, while the water-compartment, as I willterm it, has leading into it a pipe controlled by aninwardly-openingvalve, so as to admit air above the Water at atmosphericpressure whenever a column of water falls in said compartment. Devicesare arranged on the lower end of this cylinder for forcing water into orout of the water-compartment, and means are provided for rotating thecylinder whereby this latter may be readily accomplished.

In the drawings, A indicates a suitable cylinder divided intocompartments A and A, the former being what I will term an airreservoirand the latter a water-compart- 5o ment. These compartments are formed,re-

spectively, in the upper and lower portions of the cylinder by adividing-partition a. The cylinder is mounted on a shaft B, which isstepped in a suitable hearing, at whose lower end is arranged a masonrywork or other support, while its other end finds a bearing in aframework or scaffolding O. The lower end of the shaft is preferablyprovided with a head under the bearing to hold the cylinder in itsdesigned position and prevent the same from floating. Suitable staybolts or rods D are arranged to properly brace the ends or heads andmiddle partition-Wall of the cylinder.

E indicates the valve, which opens outwardly with respect to theWater-compartment to admit air from said water-compartment into theair-reservoir. This valve is shown as being arranged upon the shaft B;but it is obvious that said valve may be arranged at any desiredlocality,

F indicates a pipe passing through the upper head of the cylinder andthrough the diaphragm or partition-wall a, said pipe having arrangedtherein a valve G, which opens inwardly with respect to thewater-compartment. A conduit-pipe H leads from the airreservoir to anydesired point.

The operation of the device as above described is as follows: Assumingthe cylinder to be arranged in such position that at high tide thewater-line will be just below the diaphragm a, as the tide rises thewater enters into the Water-compartment throughsuitable openings 1',formed in the lower head of the cylinder, and compresses the air so asto force the same from the water-compartment into the air-reservoirabove, passing valve E in going from the Water-compartment into theair-reservoir. Valve G, opening inwardly, will be closed as the Waterrises, and no air 0 can pass through the pipe F from thewatercompartment. A suitable spring f is arranged under valve G for thepurpose of holding the same to its seat for obviousreasons. When thewater-line reaches its highest point, the 5 compressing action ceases,and as the water falls air is admitted into the top of thewatercompartment through the pipe F, so as to permit the water to passout through the openings 2'. This operation continues as the too tidesrise and fall, and the air compressedin the reservoir may be utilized bybeing taken from pipe II.

The above description applies to devices wherein the compression of theair depends upon tides; but it may be desired to use the invention wherethe tides are either so small that they cannot be relied upon or do notexist, in which event it is necessary to provide some means forperfecting the rising and fall ing action of the water in thewater-compartment, and to accomplish this I arrange angled down-spoutsIin the bottom head of the cylinder and near the periphery thereof andprovide means, preferably in the form of a beveled gear J on thecylinder, with which meshes a pinion 7t on a driven shaft K for rotatingthe cylinder, and thereby causing the Water to rise and fall in thewater-compartment. By rotating the cylinder in one directioncentrifugalforce, aided bya siphoning or suckingaction, causes the waterin the water-compartment to pass out through the angled down-spout,after which rotation of the cylinder may cease, when the water willimmediately seek to find its level in the water-compartment, with theresult that the air in said compartment above the water is forced beyondthe valve E and into the reservoir. Assuming the water-line to be suchas shown in the drawings, when the water reaches that line and hascompressed the air the cylinder may be again rotated to discharge thewater, as before described, when the water may be again permitted torise, or if it is desired to operate the cylinder so as to force thewater into the Water-compartment the cylinder may be oppositely rotated,when the down-spouts will have a scooping action and cause the water tofill said compartment much quicker.

While I have shown the device as being partially submerged in water, itwill be obvious that to secure a higher pressure the device can bewholly submerged in water, according to the pressure of the airrequired.

I am aware that minor changes in the arrangement, construction, andcombination of several parts of my device can be made and substitutedfor those herein shown and described without in the least departing fromthe nature andprinciple of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters .Patent, is

1. In an air-compressor, the combination with a cylinder formed with awater-compartment and an air-compartment, a valve admitting air from thewater compartment into the air-compartment, and an inwardly-openingvalve for admitting air from the exterior into the water-compartment,and means for rotating said cylinder whereby water is forced into or outof said water-compartment; substantially as described.

2. In an air-compressor, the combination with a cylinder or other casingprovided with an air-compartmentandawater-compartment, a valve openingoutwardly with respect to the vwater-compartment and admitting air fromsaid water-compartment into the air-compartment, and an inwardly-openingvalve for ad mitting air from the exterior into said watercompartment,means for rotating said cylinder, and devices on the lower end of thecylinder for forcing water into and out of said cylinder; substantiallyas described.

3. In an air-compressor, the combination with a cylinder formed with anair-compartment and a water-compartment, valves for admitting air intothe water-compartment, and from the water-compartment into theaircompartment, angled down-spouts arranged in the bottom of saidcylinder, and means for rotating the cylinder; substantially asdescribed. 1

4c. In an air-compressor, the combination with a cylinder provided withheads at each end, and a partition-wall, of a shaft on which saidcylinder is mounted, means for rotating said shaft, a valve foradmitting air from the lower compartment into the upper compartment, avalve for admitting air from the exterior into the lower compartment,and angled down-spouts Larranged on the lower head and near theperiphery thereof; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, in the presence oftwo Witnesses, this 20th day of May, 1899.

PATRICK H. MONTAGUE.

WVitnesses:

F. R. CORNWALL, A. S. GRAY.

